Method for paper feeding and device therefor

ABSTRACT

A paper feeder has a construction such that, while a sucker adapted to transfer individual sheets one by one from a stack of paper is in the process of lifting the uppermost sheet of paper from the top of the stack of paper stored in a paper magazine, air is blown against the sheets of paper adhering to the sucker so as to blow down any extra sheets entrained by the uppermost sheet being removed, whereby the individual sheets of paper are transferred one by one to a desired position without fail.

United States Patent Sunahara et al.

METHOD FOR PAPER FEEDING AND DEVICE THEREFOR Inventors: HiroshiSunahara, Seto; Yoshio Kimura, Kyoto. both of Japan Agency of IndustrialScience & Technology, Japan Filed: Nov. 14, 1973 Appl. N0.: 415,800

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. l5, 1972 Japan 47-l 14440 US. Cl271/98; 27l/l Int. Cl B65h 3/08; B65h 3/48 Field of Search 271/98, 97,ll, l, 104. 27l/lO5, 90, 30

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1939 Long 27l/3O R X June 24,1975 2.224.802 l2/l940 Spicss 27l/98 2.979.329 4/l96l Cunningham .r271/98 3.199.863 8/l965 Miillcr 271/98 3.675.602 7/l972 Pircllo 27l/l XPrimary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant E.raminer-Bruce H. Stoner, Jr.Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Oblon, Fisher. Spivk, McClelland & Maier 5 7]ABSTRACT A paper feeder has a construction such that. while a suckeradapted to transfer individual sheets one by one from a stack of paperis in the process of lifting the uppermost sheet of paper from the topof the stack of paper stored in a paper magazine, air is blown againstthe sheets of paper adhering to the sucker so as to blow down any extrasheets entrained by the uppermost sheet being removed, whereby theindividual sheets of paper are transferred one by one to a desiredposition without fail.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SHEET PATENTEDJun24 ms \4 I i I I Ill.

l "Ilii m METHOD FOR PAPER FEEDING AND DEVICE THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a method for automatically feedingsheets of filter paper. for example. as in an apparatus for the analysisof substances suspended in water and to a device therefor.

As a device for automatic feeding of paper. there has heretofore beenknown a suction type paper feeding device which utilizes the vacuumproduced by a suction pump. This device has been adopted in largeduplicators. Conventional paper feeding devices. however. are large andare complicated in mechanism and frequently allow two or three sheets ofpaper to be transferred all at once, causing an interruption of machineoperation or other mechanical troubles.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a method for feedingindividual sheets of paper of any kind and size safely one by one and adevice for practic ing said method.

Another object of this invention is to provide a paper feeding device sosmall in size and simple in structure as to be readily incorporated, forexample into a known automatic measuring system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To accomplish the aforementioned objects. thepaper feeding device according to this invention comprises a magazinefor storing a stack of paper, a sucker serving to draw up individualsheets of paper one by one from the stack of paper stored in saidmagazine, a means for blowing air against the paper clinging to saidsucker. and a means for driving said sucker so as to transfer the drawnup paper to a required position. In the device of this construction, ifthe sucker happens to draw up two or more sheets of paper at a time. airof a prescribed pressure is blown against the paper now clinging to thesucker to blow down any extra sheets entrained by the uppermost sheetbeing transferred. enabling the individual sheets of paper to betransferred one by one to the required position.

Other objects and other characteristics of the present invention willbecome apparent from the further disclosure of this invention to begiven herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating inoutline one preferred embodiment of the paper feeding device accordingto this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views each illustrating a preferredembodiment of the mechanism of this invention for preventing theuppermost sheet of paper from entraining any extra sheets of paper whileit is being transferred to said desired position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The accompanying drawingsillustrate preferred embodiments of this invention for application to ananalytical system.

Referring to FIG. I and FIG. 2, a dry chamber 1 encases a magazine 2which holds therein a stack of circular filter paper 6 to be fed. At thebottom of said dry chamber I, a suitable heating means 3 such as anelectric bulb is disposed so as to keep the interior of said chamber ata constant temperature and prevent the stack of filter paper fromgetting moist. Above the magazine 2, there is disposed a sustainer 4which is provided at the forward end thereof with a sucker 5 adapted tosuck up the paper. Said sustainer 4 is secured to one end of an arm 7the other end of which is fastened to a shaft 8. The shaft 8 is drivenin a vertical direction by a vertical drive unit 9 and rotated by arotary unit 10. The sucker 5 is connected to a pump P. so as to draw upthe paper.

The magazine 2 is provided along the upper edge thereof with aring-shaped tubular member [2 containing a plurality of orifices I3 fordischarging air. This tubular member 12 serves to blow the air suppliedfrom a pump P toward the center of said ring of tubular member [2.

The paper feeding device according to this invention has a constructionas described above. First. the vertical drive unit 9 is set to motion tocause the sucker 5 to descend onto the top of the stack of filter paper6 held within the magazine 2. The sucker 5 then sucks up the filterpaper by virtue of vacuum produced by the pump P The sucker 5, with thepaper clinging thereto,

is lifted. In this case, a spring member II disposed beneath the bottomof the stack of paper helps to ensure the suction of paper by the sucker5. At this time. there is a possibility that the sucker 5 may draw uptwo or three sheets of filter paper at once. While the paper beinglifted by the ascending sucker S is in the process of passing thering-shaped tubular member [2, the air blown out of the orifices l3blows down the extra sheets entrained by the uppermost sheet which is indirect contact with the sucker. To be specific, the ring of tubularmember I2 has an inside diameter large enough to permit passage of thefilter paper and is provided on the inside the reof with a plurality ofsuitably spaced orifices (three orifices in the illustrated embodiment)which serve to discharge the air supplied from the pump P toward thecenter of the ring of tubular member. When the air is discharged ontothe periphery of the filter paper now clinging to the sucker S, the airpressure overcomes the attraction with which the sucker holds the secondand following sheets across the uppermost sheet. with the result thatsuch extra sheets are blown down onto the stack. The extra sheets blowndown fall back into magazine 2 where they wait to be picked up in turn.The shape of said tubular member I2 may suitably be modified so as toconform to the shape of paper being handled.

In the aforementioned mechanism designed to prevent transfer of extrasheets. the ratio of the magnitude of suction by the pump P, to themagnitude of discharge by the pump P: is a critical factor. This ratiomust be determined by taking into due consideration the shape andquality of the particular paper to be handled. In the ease of theillustrated embodiment. wherein the member 12 contains threeair-discharge orifices. the filter paper weighs 0.2g per sheet andmeasures mm in diameter and the sucker has a sucking area of 13.3 mm",the desired effect is obtained by fixing the magnitude of suctionthrough the sucker at Sl/min. and that of discharge through the orificesat ZOl/min, i.e.. at a ratio of l 4.

When the orifices are disposed slightly below the horizontal planedividing the tubular member into two equal halves so that they aredirected slantingly downward as illustrated in FIG. 3, then the airdischarged therethrough can be introduced more easily between theuppermost sheet and other extra sheets entrained. facilitating theseparation of such extra sheets from the uppermost sheet.

In a modified embodiment. the stack of paper held within the magazine 2is mounted on a slightly inclined base 16 and the suction face of thesucker is also inclined by the same degree as said inclined base asillustrated in FIG. 4 so that the filter paper is sucked up by thesucker while still in the inclined position. in this case. the airdischarged through the orifices is blown against the paper in aninclined direction with reference to the direction of the paper,facilitating the sepa ration of extra sheets from the uppermost sheetwhich is in direct contact with the sucker.

The mechanism of the construction described above thus causes the forcedcurrent of air to blow down extra sheets adhering to the uppermostsheet, so that only one sheet of paper is allowed to adhere to thesucker. The arm '7 having just one sheet of filter paper held fast bythe sucker is revolved and brought to a position di rectly above aweighing plate 14 and then lowered until the filter paper comes intocontact with the weighing plate 14 by means of the vertical drive unit9. At this point, the suction pump P is stopped to allow the filterpaper to alight on the weighing plate. The suction and the release offilter paper by the sucker may be effected by inserting a solenoid valve15 in a pipe connecting the suction pump F and the sucker. whichsolenoid valve is opened and closed as required by means of a timer (notillustrated).

In the accompanying drawings are illustrated preferred embodimentsutilizing the present invention for transfer of filter paper to aweighing plate in an analytical system. by way of example. Needless tomention, the present invention can be applied to a device for feedingwrapping paper in an automatic medicine packaging machine, to a devicefor feeding blank chart in a measuring machine. and so on.

This invention, as described above, enables the individual sheets ofastack of paper to be transferred safely one by one by use of a verysimple mechanism. The device of this invention. therefore, can beincorporated into any system involving the operation of paper feeding,enabling the operation of the system to be fully automated.

What we claim is:

l. A method for feeding paper stacked within a magazine comprising:

disposing a support means above said paper magazine;

moving said support means vertically downwardly by a reciprocable drivemeans; causing the uppermost sheet of paper of said paper stack storedin said magazine to be drawn vertically upwardly onto a sucker.supported upon said sup port means. by virtue of vacuum produced thereinby a suction pump;

moving said support means and said sheet of paper vertically upwardly soas to remove said sheet of paper from said paper stack for transferringthe same;

blowing air toward said sheet of paper in a peripheral manner from afixed position disposed above said magazine as said support means andsaid sheet of paper passes said position during said vertical movementof said support means and said sheet of paper for thereby blowing downany extra sheets of paper entrained by said uppermost sheet held indirect contact with said sucker;

transferring said support means and said uppermost sheet of paper heldfast on said sucker to a required position;

returning said support means to said position disposed above saidmagazine; and

repeating said method until said stack of paper is depletedw 2. A methodaccording to claim I, wherein the air is blown in a horizontal directionagainst the paper drawn fast against the sucker.

3. A method according to claim I, wherein the air is blown in andownwardly inclined direction against the paper drawn fast against thesucker.

4. A device for feeding paper comprising in combina tion:

a magazine for storing a stack of paper;

a sucker disposed upon elongated support means and above said stack ofpaper. adapted to draw the uppermost sheet of paper of said paper stackvertically upwardly from said stack in said magazine as a result ofvacuum produced within said sucker by means of a suction pump;

driving means for imparting vertical reciprocable motion to saidelongated support means and said sucker sufficient to permit saidsupport means and said sucker to reach the lowermost sheet of paper ofsaid stack as well as to clear the upper portion of said magazine, androtary motion when said sucker is clear of said magazine, as required;and

means fixedly disposed peripherally about and above said magazine fordirecting a forced current of air toward said uppermost sheet of paperdrawn fast against said sucker thereby causing any extra sheets of paperentrained by said uppermost sheet to be blown down onto said stack ofpaper.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the stack of paper is storedin an inclined position and the sucking face of the sucker is inclinedby the same angle as that of the stack of paper.

1. A method for feeding paper stacked within a magazine comprising:disposing a support means above said paper magazine; moving said supportmeans vertically downwardly by a reciprocable drive means; causing theuppermost sheet of paper of said paper stack stored in said magazine tobe drawn vertically upwardly onto a sucker, supported upon said supportmeans, by virtue of vacuum produced therein by a suction pump; movingsaid support means and said sheet of paper vertically upwardly so as toremove said sheet of paper from said paper stack for transferring thesame; blowing air toward said sheet of paper in a peripheral manner froma fixed position disposed above said magazine as said support means andsaid sheet of paper passes said position during said vertical movementof said support means and said sheet of paper for thereby blowing downany extra sheets of paper entrained by said uppermost sheet held indirect contact with said sucker; transferring said support means andsaid uppermost sheet of paper held fast on said sucker to a requiredposition; returning said support means to said position disposed abovesaid magazine; and repeating said method until said stack of paper isdepleted.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the air is blown ina horizontal direction against the paper drawn fast against the sucker.3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the air is blown in andownwardly inclined direction against the paper drawn fast against thesucker.
 4. A device for feeding paper comprising in combination: amagazine for storing a stack of paper; a sucker disposed upon elongatedsupport means and above said stack of paper, adapted to draw theuppermost sheet of paper of said paper stack vertically upwardly Fromsaid stack in said magazine as a result of vacuum produced within saidsucker by means of a suction pump; driving means for imparting verticalreciprocable motion to said elongated support means and said suckersufficient to permit said support means and said sucker to reach thelowermost sheet of paper of said stack as well as to clear the upperportion of said magazine, and rotary motion when said sucker is clear ofsaid magazine, as required; and means fixedly disposed peripherallyabout and above said magazine for directing a forced current of airtoward said uppermost sheet of paper drawn fast against said suckerthereby causing any extra sheets of paper entrained by said uppermostsheet to be blown down onto said stack of paper.
 5. A device accordingto claim 4, wherein the stack of paper is stored in an inclined positionand the sucking face of the sucker is inclined by the same angle as thatof the stack of paper.